Menstruation, Chums, Periods, the blob, On the rag or whatever you call it, it all means the same meaning, though. The majority of the girls gets their menstruation sooner or later. Mostly around the age of twelve, some a bit sooner and some very late.
Chances are you might experience your periods on your own when reading this. But if you want to dig in more, than you are in the right place. This complete menstruation (periods) guide will let you know more about your body, what periods are, how long does a period last, how to delay your period naturally and much more.
Contents
- 1 What is Menstruation (Periods)?
- 2 When Does it Start and Stop?
- 3 How Long do your Periods Last?
- 4 The Phases of Menstrual Cycle
- 5 Menstrual Management
- 6 What is PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)?
- 7 How to Get Rid of Premenstrual Syndrome ?
- 8 What is Menstrual Hygiene and Why it is Essential?
- 9 How to Delay your Periods Naturally?
- 10 Menstrual Myths
- 11 Shocking Facts about Periods that you Should Know
What is Menstruation (Periods)?
Every month a mature egg cell gets released from the female’s ovaries and travels through the Fallopian tube to the uterus. The uterus prepares for a pregnancy by developing a uterine lining made up of blood vessels and tissues called endometrium.
The pregnancy does not occur, if the egg doesn’t get fertilized, the uterine lining is shed and it gets released as blood through the vagina as a mixture of tissue and blood over a course of a week to 8 days. This is called as menstruation or a period. The cycle starts again with an egg that starts to mature in one of the ovaries. This process is called as a menstrual cycle and is generally 26 to 35 days long.
When Does it Start and Stop?
A girl might expect her first period between the age of 9 to 14. The correct age at which this happens might vary from person to person. A sexually mature girl menstruates in every 28 to 31 days. During pregnancy, the lining of the uterus is utilized to nourish the baby in the uterus and hence you might not expect a menstruation. It begins again after the baby is born.
Menstruation stops between the age of 40 to 50 and might vary on an individual basis. This shows that you have completed the fertile phase of a woman’s life and this is called as menopause.
How Long do your Periods Last?
On an average, a period lasts between three to five days. It is definitely normal for a girl to have irregular periods in the beginning. During this time, the duration might vary from two to 7 days long and it can take up to a year for it to become regular.
The Phases of Menstrual Cycle
The menstrual cycle can be divided into 4 main phases:
- Menstrual phases which start from day one to five
- Follicular phase, which starts from day 1 to 5
- Ovulation phases – Day 14
- Luteal phase – Day 15 to 28
Menstrual Management
When a girl starts to menstruate, they should take a few steps to deal with their fold and to main general hygiene. The following is some basic measure that might guide you to start your daily routine without being interrupted by your menstruation.
- Managing the periods flow to prevent the fluid from staining the clothes
- Maintaining proper cleanliness and hygiene
- Eating a well-balanced diet to give the body essential nutrients
Maintaining an active lifestyle while avoiding the tension and stress
What is PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)?
PMS or premenstrual syndrome. It’s a condition that affects all teens and women of all ages. The premenstrual syndrome includes various physical and emotional disturbances that happen to women after ovulation and it might last up to menstruation.
The symptoms of PMS might vary from cycle to cycle. The most common ones are listed below;
- Anxiety
- Anger and irritability
- Depression
- Tension
- Exaggerated mood swings
- Crying
- Over sensitivity
- Bloating (Fluid retention)
- Fatigue
- Breast tenderness
- Weight gain
- Acne
- Disturbance in sleep
- Overeating
- And craving for sweets
How to Get Rid of Premenstrual Syndrome ?
Improve your Diet
Avoid caffeine and salty foods which can cause bloating and can increase anxiety. Alcohol might worsen depression. Doctors suggest consuming more fruits and fresh veggies and whole grain foods a week before your periods. Also, eat at regular intervals to prevent your blood sugar level from dips and spikes.
Exercise More
Both your emotional and physical PMS symptoms can be alleviated with exercise. Always follow an exercise routine which can increase your heart rate that you will definitely love. Two hours of proper exercise are recommended.
Try Vitamin Supplements
Vitamin supplements might be very beneficial for PMS. It is always recommended to consult a doctor before taking any vitamin tablets.
Try Herbal Remedies
You can also try herbal home remedies for PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) such as; primrose oil, chaste berry, raspberry leaf, natural progesterone creams and ginger.
Focus your Stress
It is essential to get adequate rest and sleep. Try to get as much as sleep as possible. Also, try a combination of mild shoulder and stomach massage and meditate to calm down your mind and body.
What is Menstrual Hygiene and Why it is Essential?
Menstrual hygiene is very essential , at times we might feel sluggish to change napkin and may wear the same pad for a whole day. Women in smaller towns and rural areas use unhygienic cloth during their periods.
How to Maintain Hygiene During your Periods?
- Follow a method of sanitation – Today there are plenty of ways for sanitation such as tampons, sanitary napkins, and menstrual cups to stay neat and squeaky clean.
- Change regularly – Even if your period’s flood is very minimal it is recommended to change your pads every four hours, since your pads might be damp and will have vaginal organisms such as sweat from the genitals, etc.
- Wash regularly – clean your opening of vagina regularly with mild soap and rinse with plenty of water. If you cannot wash, you can try to wipe off the areas with a tissue or toilet paper.
- Use a proper washing technique – Always remember to clean the motion from the vagina to the anus. This way you are washing off the bacteria from the anus too.
- Discard the sanitary products correctly – It is very important to discard the sanitary products correctly as they can spread infections and will smell disgusting.
- Pad rash. Ugh…., A pad rash or napkin rash is something that women might experience during periods. It occurs when the pad is full or wet. The pad might rub on your thighs, causing it to chaff.
Take bath regularly – This might seem insane for many, but there are some cultures where people are believed not to take a bath during their periods. But this is just a myth. Take a bath in clean water regularly and avoid too much of scrubbing or rubbing on your genitals.
The Importance of Menstrual Hygiene
Menstrual hygiene is essential in ensuring that your day to day life is not interrupted by menstruation. It makes sure that you work on your daily chores such as going to work or school or household chores. It can also prevent crucial circumstances of embarrassment and in turn, enable you to feel confident about your body and yourself. In this sense is very important to maintain a proper menstrual hygiene.
Products Available for Managing Menstrual Flow
Well, let’s not consider the back old days, where women and girls use cotton cloths for menstruation. But today they are available in various forms. During menstruation, the blood needs to be absorbed in the right manner. The following are some of the products available;
Sanitary Pads
This use and throw pads or absorbent pads are available in all leading stores. It is placed between the opening of the vagina and the underwear.
Cloth Pads
A pad which is made of hygiene cotton cloth and it can also be washed and reused.
Tampon
A mass absorbent product that is inserted into the vagina.
Menstrual Cup
A small bell-shaped silicone cup that is inserted into the vagina to collect the fluid and dispose of it later. These cups can be washed and reused.
How to Delay your Periods Naturally?
A natural phenomenon that every lady experiences between the age of 12 – 50 is menstruation. This physical condition brings out the woman’s feminity and makes them different from men. But during the cycle, a woman might experience various pains and sensation.
A woman might face certain events and situations where getting involved with menstruation might become very tough. Thus, women have medicines and pills to postpone their periods. They hormonal and synthetic drugs can create various complications in the female reproductive organ in the future. It is always recommended to try herbal and natural ways to delay your period. Some people still have a belief that changing their cycle of menstruation is not a good idea. But sometimes is always good for your health just like quick starting your system. Women have various reasons to postpone or prepone their periods. In a religious occasion, women are not allowed to do any rituals. Periods on your wedding day is a great disaster. There are artificial as well as home remedies to delay your periods.
How to Delay your Menstrual Cycle Naturally?
| No Spicy Food | Spicy food can boost up the blood flow and starts the menstrual cycle. If you wish to postpone the cycle the best way is to avoid spicy foods of all types. Some examples are black pepper, chilly and garlic. You must avoid these three hot ingredients from your diet completely. |
| Herbs | Herbs like yarrow tinctures and shepherd’s purse should sun dried and grind it to a fine powder. Make a fluid out of it and try drinking it before your periods. These herbs have hemorrhages which can stop the excessive blood flow. This, these herbs can also postpone your periods. |
| Exercise | One of the great reasons for getting menstrual cycle before time is emotional stress. This can be avoided easily with the help of regular exercise. You can control your stress by exercising regularly and will always maintain you in a good state. People who don’t exercise regularly can end up with different complication. They might also get abnormal periods which can come twice a month and so on. But today, if you do regular cardio exercise, getting the right stability in your body is definitely possible. Exercise, this does not mean that you must sign up for a gym. There are plenty of activities like as swimming, jogging and running through which you can get your body’s physical balance and battle with an abnormal period cycle. |
| Gram Lentils | There are some food and diet with proven effects on decreasing and increasing days of your period cycle. Make a soup with gram lentils to delay periods naturally. You can actually restrict your periods by consuming gram lentils on a regular basis. |
| Drink Plenty of Water | You must drink plenty of water. Do you drink it regularly? Some individuals don’t drink water much. Also not drinking adequate water can reflect other health issues and complications in the menstrual cycle. You can get your periods lighter and normal according to the date of consuming water on a regular basis. |
| Control Over Stress | Stress is one of the causes for all health issues and troubles. If you are getting periods, abnormal before the actual date, it can be due to stress. The best way to beat stress Is to take a deep breath and then release it slowly. This is one of the ways to stop your periods early. |
| Vinegar | Vinegar is also one of the most effective and natural ways to delay your periods. For this, you should take a glass of purified water and add 3 to 4 spoons of vinegar in it. This can make your menstrual cycle delay for 4 to 5 days. If you want to delay more, keep drinking the water on a regular basis. You will have to drink 3 to 4 times a day. |
| Parsley Leaves | How to skin a period for vacation? If you wish to skin your menstrual cycle as per your wish one of the home remedies is through parsley leaves. Since it is available widely, just grab a few and boil it in water. Let it simmer for 20 minutes . Once the process is done, cool down and add a spoon of honey. Drinking this twice a day can delay your periods. |
| Gelatin | Looking for how to stop your period from coming? Try gelatin. Empty the whole packet in a bowl of warm water. Consume it to delay your periods. Gelatin can delay your periods for four hours if you drink once. So calculate accordingly to make it work effectively. |
| Low Temperature Food | People willing to delay periods must be very careful about their food. Spicy and hot food can boost your periodic cycle to prepone. If you were to delay it the best way to have foods when cold. If you have a habit of consuming food hot such as vegetables and rice, then quit it and prefer for meals which are cold. |
| Lemon | Another natural ingredient to delay your periods is a lemon. Lemon contains citric and acidic elements which can delay your periods. This will not only make your periods to delay, but also solve the periodic cycle complications like as breast tenderness, pain, and inflammation in a particular area. You can also stop the menstrual flow by chewing few lemon skin and consuming it juice. |
| Raspberry Leaves | Consume raspberry tea with its leaves and drink to make your periods come later. Drinking raspberry juice in a hot summer day might be very common. But do you know that the leaves of this excellent fruit have properties to delay your periods? Yes, the herb is well known to postpone your menstrual cycle naturally. |
| Angelica Root | Angelica root, the other herb to delay your periods naturally. You can dry the root and boil in water. Also, if you are office goer, then try freezing it. |
| Uterus Massage | You can also get your periods postpone through massaging the uterus. This is very effective even if you are facing menstrual cramps. You will notice the results and health. |
| Papaya | Papaya is an active ingredient which is easily found in all parts of the world. Normally, doctors don’t usually suggest people who are trying to conceive and during pregnancy. But since you are willing to delay your periods, the papaya will work wonders. The carotene in the papaya is a very effective in stimulating the hormone called estrogen. |
| Carrots | How to delay your period with carrots? Yes, you can actually delay your periods with carrots. You can munch a few or make a carrot juice to delay periods. |
| Bananas | Try consuming 2 bananas for breakfast for at least four to five days before the actual date of your periods. Also, drink a cup of water after eating it. Here are few more health benefits of bananas. |
| Tamarind Pulp | The tingling tamarind, we all love to eat them. This super food is also a very effective ingredient that we have in our homes. It can also delay your periods. All you have to do is to take twelve grams of it and soak it in water overnight. |
| Chia Seeds | Chia seeds are also a well known natural remedy used to postpone your menstrual cycle. All you have to do is to soak a spoon of chia seeds in a small cup of water. Consume it in the morning on an empty stomach. The above-explained remedies will assist you in delaying your periods naturally with no side effects. Always remember that it is not too late to change your lifestyle to lead a healthy and blissful life. |
Watch this Video for Visual Content on How to Delay your Period:
Other Ways to Delay or Postpone your Periods for a Holiday
- Order for periods delay pills such as Norethisterone
- Both contraceptive pill or Birth control pills can also be used to delay your periods.
- Try patch rings
These are just a few ways to delay your periods without natural products. Make sure to consult your doctor before trying any new medicines.
Menstrual Myths
Before science discovered the menstruation mystery. So, there were plenty of beliefs and ideas created to explain menstruation in cultures and ancient societies. Many such things that revolved have been proven wrong by science, but they are still followed in many societies. These are called as menstrual myths.
These myths tend to explain that menstruation is not a disease or a curse and lead up to beliefs that the woman’s body is polluted when she is getting periods. Such belief made discrimination against women and at times and can lessen your opportunities, and self – esteem for growth. This situation is a problem for a society in general as women are the ‘better half’ of all society.
Where Did the Myths Originate From?
The myths regarding ovulation and menstruation were discovered in the mid – 18th century. Before this, most periods explanations were based on observations. These observations like as the vagina, pain and blood flow from the vagina were said differently in various ancient societies. In some cases, blood means fertility and life while in others, pain and blood shows the danger that should be given proper attention.
The absence of scientific information caused various ways of ancient thinking in our society which led to menstrual myths. Periods are still considered as a taboo in various societies. There is a lack of information and awareness about it. So these myths will continue to live and no generation might question about it.
Can you Get Rid of Menstrual Myths?
Getting rid of menstrual myths is something not possible immediately, you can ask about your periods and its myths to people who still consider the same. Educate them by giving the right information. This is the only way to spread the awareness of menstrual myths.
Is Menstruating Woman Considered as Impure?
None of these myths are correct. Menstruation is normal and natural for women. The fluid is a harmless combination of tissue and blood that was not used by your body to nourish a baby in the womb.
This myth is just a gimmick to stop the woman from taking part in various events and occasions. This usually happens in the case of a religious occasion.
Women while menstruation should not take a bath
This myth might have started when people used to bath in the open, for instance in lakes and rivers. You can imagine that it can be very embarrassing to take a bath in the open. But now, we take a bath in a private bathroom. Hence, there is no reason to follow such myth. Also take bath in the shower daily for a clean and hygienic body.
If you are planning to go for swimming, a tampon or a menstrual cup is recommended to prevent the flow from the vagina.
Can you Get Pregnant During Periods?
It is possible for a woman to get pregnant when she is on her periods. Sometimes ovulation might happen before your menstrual cycle is complete and sometimes it might also happen earlier. In both cases, if the sperm gets into your vagina, it is possible to get pregnant.
Also, in many cases, women might go through very slight bleeding while ovulating. Though this bleeding might look like menstruation, but it is not. This is known as mid-cycle bleeding or spotting. So you can get pregnant if you have unprotected sex in this time.
Will Bleed Leads to Anemia?
Bleeding does not cause iron deficiency. A normal period might be between 80ml (Around 3 tablespoons). In case if you have bleeding more than 80 ml, then consider visiting your doctor immediately.
Shocking Facts about Periods that you Should Know
- It is possible to find the woman’s menstrual cycle by smelling her clothes.
- Women might shop more 10 days before their periods start.
- An average woman uses more than 11,000 tampons in her lifetime.
Hope this complete guide on Menstruation gives you in – depth knowledge and clarifies your doubts on periods. But still, there is plenty to know more about menstruation or periods, which you might read them in the next post sooner. Make sure to comment below !!!
